One of the longest hiking routes along the coast of Maine can be found within the densely populated boundaries of Bath. There the Whiskeag Trail traverses three conservation preserves and several municipally owned properties on its five-mile journey through the wooded outskirts of town, much of it along Whiskeag Creek.

The trail is a project of Bath Trails, itself a collaboration of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, the city of Bath, Healthy Maine Partnerships, local schools, mountain bikers, landowners and citizens.

Bath Trails worked for four years to establish a formal trail corridor and create continuous trail connections with adequate signage. Using 200 acres of Kennebec Estuary Land Trust holdings at Thorne Head, Sewall Woods and Whiskeag Creek, plus 450 acres of city land, the Whiskeag Trail was finally opened to the public in 2010.

Close to downtown yet with a backcountry feel along much of its length, the Whiskeag Trail not only offers fine hiking but opportunities for running, mountain biking, birding and other low-impact outdoor recreation, all the while protecting important wetland wildlife habitat that is home to several threatened species of plants and fish. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are popular on the trail in winter.

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